Rear seat assemblies for contemporary minivan vehicles and so-called sport utility vehicles typically are provided with collapsible frames that permit the seat assembly to be mounted in an upright position for purposes of supporting rear passengers and for permitting the seat assembly to be collapsed in a forward direction so that the vehicle passenger compartment can be adapted for carrying cargo. Such seat assemblies require the seat back portion of the seat assembly to be tilted forward over the lower seat portion. The stacked height of the seat assembly in its folded state then would be equal to the sum of the height of the seat riser, the height of the lower seat portion, and the thickness of the seat back portion. Thus, the overall stacked height for such prior art designs is substantial. This may provide an inconvenience to passengers during ingress and egress through a side door opening. Furthermore, it reduces the cargo carrying capacity of the vehicle when the vehicle is adapted for carrying cargo.